This resource, from the U.S. Center for States' Childwelfare Capacity Building Program, provides information on how to partner with young people to discuss redesigning the child welfare service array to meet the needs of youth and young adults currently and formerly in foster care, focusing on topics such as housing, healthcare and mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and education. Each section of this publication discusses:
- Current challenges for youth and young adults in each area of service array
- The structure and programs of current service array
- Jurisdictional and community examples of service provision
- Strategies for young people and agency staff to partner to effect improvements
- Resources for Tribal child welfare agencies
Use the attached worksheet in partnership with youth and young adults to identify existing service challenges or barriers and cocreate ideas for how services can better meet the needs of youth and young adults as they transition to adulthood.
The strategies offered throughout this resource are informed by lived experience experts. The input of lived experience and expertise has been augmented by examples, research, and other information.
